Canada Geese

OK, first thing, let me get this off my chest. It's CANADA Geese, not CANADIAN Geese. I hear that misnomer a lot and it bothers me almost as much as hearing people say “birds and animals.” Depending on the source there are six to eleven species of Canada Goose, the smallest version having been promoted to species status as the Cackling Goose.
This time of year we see skeins of geese flying in their V formations, although rarely in a perfect V. They are heading south to their wintering grounds. I got a call from KRCR TV the other day because someone had called them after noticing geese flying north and wondered if the migration pattern changed. No, geese have been flying south for the winter for millions of years and back north in the spring (in the northern hemisphere; it's reversed below the equator.) But along the migratory route the geese could get disoriented by clouds or storms or simply decide to circle around to find a place to land for the evening or to feed and they might go in any direction for a...